2015 – 16 October 2015

Event Sponsor - Lloyd Dowson

Award Winners

At the Awards Evening on Friday 16 October 2015, the Overall Business of the Year was awarded to Firmac.

Judges comment:Overall, the standard of finalists this year was outstanding once again. Choosing the category winners and the Overall Business of the Year was far from easy, and the judges would like to congratulate all the finalists.

Entertainment

Robin Campbell will be playing bass guitar as one half of the easy listening instrumental music duo who will be providing entertainment during the champagne reception. Robin will later lend his expertise to the sound production for the performance of our triad of tenors.

Born in Glasgow, 1948, Robin's musical beginnings were forged in a family dedicated to classical music. However, Robin played in several Glasgow Rock Bands, and then formed in the late 60s, with Donald Brown, the folk group Lomond Folk. Lomond Folk rapidly established their name on the Scottish Folk scene. Following the tragic death of his singing partner in 1977, Robin launched a solo career in the Scottish tourist circuit and compered the Clyde and Loch Lomond Showboat, folk and jazz cruises for seven years.

Moving to London, Robin involved himself in many musical genres including production work from opera to rock and for the past twelve years he has also returned to traditional folk, performing in the South East of England. Apart from solo work, he is also the vocalist in 'Celtic Krystal', a folk 'n fiddle band - the circle is unbroken!

Robin has back catalogue recordings on Decca Beltona Sword, Lismor, Bluebell Music, Occasion Recordings, KRL and is presently recording two new CDs for release in late 2015.

At the event, Robin is playing bass guitar with Martin Quinn on piano during the champagne reception at the Awards Ceremony.

Andrew studied Dentistry at Bristol University before embarking on a professional singing career musical theatre and opera.

Andrew first musical job was in the UK touring production of Les Miserables for a year as Courfeyrac. Subsequent musical credits include Whistle down the Wind (No1 UK Tour), Tony in West Side Story (Pimlico Opera), Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Watermill Theatre), Stine in City of Angels (Landor), MacHeath in Beggars Opera (Cochrane Theatre)). He has also premiered the English version of a Norwegian one-man musical, Terje Vigen both in San Francisco and on tour in Norway.

Recent opera credits include Cavardossi in Tosca at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, Don Jose in Carmen (King's Head), The Duke in Rigoletto (UK tour), Tamino in The Magic Flute (UK tour) and Edmondo in Manon Lescaut (Queen Elizabeth Hall).

Andrew regularly sings at corporate events and in concerts worldwide, notable recent engagements include tenor solo in a Requiem Mass by Rowland Lee, at the St Petersburg Philharmonic concert hall and at the Royal Palace in Oslo for the King and Queen of Norway at their daughter's 40th Birthday celebration attended by numerous European Royals. He recorded an album of pop songs in a classical style for SonyBMG. He has sung live on GMTV and performed at Bestival on the Isle of Wight.

Ben Kerslake studied at the Queensland Conservatorium with an exchange to the Guildhall School of Music. He received first class honours and a Master of Music. In this period he was awarded a Masters scholarship, Tenor Scholarship, the Opera Scenes Prize and was selected for the Opera Queensland Developing Artist Program. In 2004 Ben moved to the UK and made is Opera North debut.

Ben's lead tenor performances include Carmen, La Bohème, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, Nabucco, Don Pasquale, The Pearl Fishers, The Magic Flute, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Le Nozze di Figaro, Hugh The Drover, The Merry Widow, The Burning Fiery Furnace for Opera North, Scottish Opera, Opera de Baugé, Opera Queensland, the Monte Carlo Festival and the Ravenna Festival amongst others. Ben has been a tenor soloist in Venice, Abu Dhabi, the Singapore Festival, Luxembourg and the Sydney Opera House. He created the role of Arlecchino in the World Premiere of Dove's Pinocchio (Opera North, BBC Radio 3 & Sky Arts). In 2009 Ben sang the National Anthems for the Four Nations at Twickenham, broadcast internationally on Sky & Fox Sports.

Martin Quinn will form one half of a duo playing easy listening instrumental music on the Piano and Bass Guitar during the champagne reception. Later during the evening, Martin will also become a member of our triad of tenors that will entertain you with their fantastic vocal repertoire of songs. This performance will provide the event with the 'wow' factor that regular attendees have come to expect from such a prestigious occasion.

Martin studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Anthony Roden and is currently learning with Justin Lavender.